The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-12-28
A DAGGER AT HIS THROAT.
The Revenge of Mexican Girl Whose
Lover Was Slain In q Duel.

The Revenge of Mexican Girl Whose
Lover Was Slain In q Duel.
San Francisco Examiner.
In the fall of 1889 party of Mexicans were
travelling through what is now Butte county,
their destination being the valley where the
town of Chico now stands. The train of horses
and wagons with which the men and women
were iourneying in the slow style of that day
belonged to Spaniard named Lapezada. He
and his family constituted the principal portion
of the party.s He had many an acre in Alta
California and on his lands grazed innumerable
horses and cattle. but his mostprized possession
his daughter. who was then. at sixteen years
OF age, the very embodiment OF all that soft
beauty and sensuous grace peculiar to the women
Cast.lian descent
1t was natural for men to fall in love with
her Like all girls with the warm, passionate
blood of Mexico coursing her veins. her bodily
development had been rapid her affections had
ripened early, and at sixteen years of age she
was already a woman.
Among those who were her worshipers were
an American named Thomas Lansing. who had
been born in Vermont, and Scotchman named
Harvey McGruigan. They were constantly near
her, and the influence of her presence never
allowed their love cool McGruigau had
more opportunities than Lansing to be in her
society and advance his suit, since he was
secretary to Don Lapezada, and took his meals
at table with the family. Lansing was the
wagon boss, and had general charge of the
caravan while OF the road. Both had lived in
Mexico. and among the Mexcans for long
time, and were familiar with the language
as a native.
McGrngan was pleasant. wosr. besides
being much handsomer than Lansing, and soon
the latter saw that his rival smiled upon
while he himself had none of the girls regard.
Naturally fiery tempered, Lansing conceived
violent hatred for the ScotchmaD, and never
missed chance to seek row with McGruigan.
Throughout the journey he had repeatedly
deavored to involve McGruigan in trouble 1t
was thus matters stood when the valley in which
Gridley is situated reached. There Lam
sing Dsulted McGrugan in such manner that
the latter yielded to his angry feelings and chal-
lenged the other to a duel. This was just what
Lansing desired. He had been waiting for the
moment when he might kill his successful rival
ever since the lovely senorita had let the Scotch
man know that her heart all his
None of the usual formalities of the code were
needed for such encounter the pro-
posed. They repaired to grove of timber
then occupying the site of what is at present the
town of Grldley and there, after space had
been measured off. began shooting at each other
with their pistols. Three shots fired by
each man. the third bullet from Lansings
pistol was effective The ambition of his hatred
had been satisfied the leaden pellet entered
McGrugan's brain and he fell down dead Lam
sing himself had received bullet in his left
arm and one shot from McGruigan's weapon had
carried away the lobe of mis- right
Having satisfied himself that McGruiCan
dead and would trouble him no longer, Lansing
turned to leave the spot. He had replaced MS
at the face of the dead man, when from behind
the trees appeared the girl herself. She crept
ND behind Lansing and stabbed him in the neck
with stiletto, severlng the Juguiar vein. lie
sunk on the grass and died. The girl had
noticed the two men leaving the camp. had
sound of the firing, and had arrived there in
time to see the man she loved fall lifeess to the
ground. The fate of the girl herself seems to
have been forgotten.